Actually, this prestigious song awards/competition was aired on December 28th last year over at TV3 but i wasnt able to catch it obviously since, like many other singapore residents, the only malaysian channel my television can receive is RTM1. It's really a sad thing because as far as i can tell, the more interesting malaysian programmes are aired on channels OTHER than RTM1 (which serves more like an info-tainment rather than an entertainment channel). Well, whatever the case, i was finally able to watch it when its recorded telecast was aired over on suria last night.
As all who had been following Juara Lagu through the years would know, the competition is divided into three distinct categories namely: 1) Balada 2) Pop Rock & 3) Irama Malaysia & Etnik Kreatif. The winner in each category receives RM 12 000 and a trophy. In addition, one song amongst these three winners will be awarded the Juara Lagu award which comes with trophy and a cool, RM 25 000. Apart from these major awards, there are also the Best Vocal Performance & Best Performance awards, and each is accompanied with a trophy & RM 10 000.
Here is a by-the-numbers account of Juara Lagu ke18 (complete wif my commentaries, of course):
category: Ballad
Selagi... Ada Cinta - Ning Baizura
Husband & wife duo, Ajai & Nurul, may not be performing but their work was represented by Ning Baizura who aureated DIVA appeal in her understated but superb vocal performance. A mini skit was going on in the background which was rather cute but i think, totally pointless & irrelevant. Despite this, it's still a nice enough song but there's something in this performance which seemed to be lacking...
Keabadian Cinta - Anuar Zain
Standing alone on stage, Anuar Zain oozed much charisma & confidence even before the moment he sang the opening lines of this song. The musical arrangement had been pared down to let his vocals shine, and boy, did he shine! However, his voice was abit flat in a couple of places (well, it WAS a challenging song) and his nicely curled tresses reminded me of farah fawcett in the retro tv-series CHarlie Angels. Other than that, i guess Anuar Zain has the chops & suave to carry off anything... U Go, gerl~!
Bunga Bunga Cinta - Misha Omar
Like anuar zain, misha did not enlist the aid of background dancers or props to enhance her performance. Dressed in an elegant pinkish-red gown, misha looked simply stunning.. Unfortunately, her breathing technique was horrendous and her hand gesticulations got abit aggravating after awhile. But nevermind all that; this is a beautiful song and misha's expressive & passionate voice is just right for it. Awesome~!
Sinar - May
This song is nice but i dont think this bunch of rockers would get anywhere with it...
category: Pop Rock
Akustatik - OAG
Their performance was one of the simplest: three little ballerinas (replete with pink tutus) danced a cute number by the side while the lead singer Radhi (and a white dove inside a cage) took centerstage. The song arrangement seemed to emphasize Radhi's boyish vocals and the group itself had incorporated a retro school-boy theme to complement their beautiful song. Even fellow RnB group Ruffedge (from same record company) was present to lend a hand wif the backing vocals. The overall effect exuded an old-school charm that's effective but not spectacular enuff to win them any awards for the night. Still, this song is one of my personal favorites. ;)
Hi Hi Bye Bye - Ezlynn
Ezlynn was absolutely GAUDY in her flashy outfit and big coiffure but her performance was pretty cool nevertheless. A few plasma tv screens had been erected in the background & the choreographed dance sequence by her accompanying dancers blended nicely with this upbeat, rockish number. Ezlynn herself sizzled wif stage presence and charisma but otherwise, it wasnt an overly impressive performance.
Ku Milikmu - Siti Nurhaliza
First of all, i'm rather surprised that this song got through to the finals whereas her other, more distinctive songs didnt (eg. Badarsila, Bukan Cinta Biasa..). Secondly, siti's outfit was soooooo tacky! she should have fired her stylist ages ago~!! the song had been reworked abit for the competition: siti and her dancers (most of whom looked as if they were angmoh) did a mini tap-dance thingy at the beginning and end of the song. There was even a short rap provided by a handful of hiphoppers to lend the performance some much-needed "street" flavor. As if all these weren't enuff, the backup singers resembled a mini gospel choir! Certainly, her producers were willing to do mostly anything to give her that extra edge in the competition but then, wif so much activity going on for a five miute song, i think the overall effect was rather "messy" instead of "mesmerizing". However, i guess siti must be lauded for her efforts to diversify from her conservative image. perhaps, siti's reign in the malaysian music industry is finally coming to an end...
Percayakan Siti - Exists
this is an infectious song coupled wif a retro sixties theme; the overall effect is quite hilarious but in a positive, feel-good way. Lead singer Ezad even sported a campy Beatle-esque wig which thankfully, didnt have a detrimental effect on his fine vocals. I feel that their performance at juara lagu last year was much better though.
category: Irama Malaysia/Etnik Kreatif
Wassini - Waheeda
this is a cool middle-eastern number wif nifty beats that is reminiscent of Sting's Desert Rose but Waheeda's vocal performance was sadly unimpressive. The live orchestra/band drowned her voice most of the time and her backup male dancers wif their fiery torches were very distracting... Overall effect was like a cheap circus act and because waheeda is a minah ferring, she and the male dancers in their tight tshirts & jeans made a slightly disconcerting combination.
Salsabila - Yasin
I personally think Yasin looked abit gross wif long, rebonded hair. PLuS, this song is too irritatingly repetitive for my liking... Nonetheless, the musicians accompanying him onstage lent an exotic, 'middle-eastern' atmosphere to the whole performance & yasin's voice was quite commendable.
Tandang Bermadah - Noraniza Idris
Noraniza Idris deserves much credit for her awe-inspiring performances. They're NEVER boring~! This time round, noraniza utilized a sabah/sarawak theme to great success and her producers definitely werent afraid to pull out all the stops to deliver a terrific performance. However, seeing how her concepts are the only aspects that change throughout the years, in the end, noraniza's efforts were self-defeatist; in order to really win over the judges, she ought to try to awe not wif pomp and glamor, but wif substance & quality... But then, this was certainly the best choreographed (and most jaw-dropping) number for the night!
Hasrat Perindu - Mas Idayu
being the token dangdut song, i dont think mas idayu stood a chance against the other heavyweight contenders. Still, she was able to inject some elements of sexy-fun in her performance but i must say her backup male dancers were very tacky. I lurved the part at the end when Mas Idayu was whirled 360degrees vertically by one of her dancers; i was stunned speechless!
THE WINNERS
Kategori Balada: Misha Omar - Bunga Bunga Cinta - wif the exception of May's Sinar, i think all were strong contenders for this award. ning, anuar & misha all had such mellifluous voices, i didnt see how each could win against the other. however, misha was spectacular and therefore, deserves her win. But then, if anuar had won, i would have said the exact same thing! haha
Kategori Pop Rock: Ezlynn - Hi Hi Bye Bye - this category must be the hardest to judge; not because all of them were really excellent but because none seemed distinctive enough. Exists, Ezlynn and OAG all seemed capable of carrying off this award but if it were up to me, i'd pick OAG out of sheer favoritism. Thankfully, it wasnt up to me!
Kategori Irama Malaysia/Etnik kreatif: Waheeda - Wassini - Frankly speaking, i thought yasin and waheeda were equally good but i guess waheeda won becuz she's prettier. LOL
Best Vocal Performance: Misha Omar - I dont think misha deserved this though. Anuar zain should have won because he had better vocals. Period~ (and it wud do misha some good to learn proper breath-control methods from him ;p )
Best Performance: Siti Nurhaliza - Another controversial choice. If Siti hadnt won this, it would probably be the first time in juara lagu history that she didnt win anything! Noraniza Idris would have been a better choice despite her predictability because her performance at least, was impeccable. Siti's had so many flaws. Maybe the judges were just being "kayu". or sympathetic. wadever~
Juara Lagu: Misha Omar - Bunga Bunga Cinta - After sweeping off the award in the ballad category, this was pretty much inevitable.
in my honest opinion, despite some minor upsets, this has got to be one of the best juara lagu awards ever. the production was top-notch (as exemplified by the matrix-inspired dance sequence) and the verbal sparring of hosts aznil & sarimah were so campy and fun to watch. even during the opening, when all contenders were introduced, excerpts of their work were splendidly sung by dayang nurfaizah & adibah noor. hence this already signalled a change from the formulaic juara lagu competitions of the past. A musical interlud was also included whereby genre artistes performed numbers NOT in their usual repertoire; dayang & adibah proved that they're vocally competent even in a ghazal song whereas rock-queen Ella showed she could carry off dangdut wif as much dignity & showmanship as mas idayu. sadly, hazami & siti sarah's take on joget kenangan manis was sorely uninspired.
i think i've had more than enuff to whet my appetite for music performances on tv, but wif the grammys just next week, i'd soon be bloated! ;)
